Kale
14% dry matter, 11.5 MJ of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter, 9% crude protein and 31% fibre (NDF) — the cited reference values behind our calculators.
Composition
Energy is MJ ME per kg of dry matter. Everything else is a percentage of dry matter.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Dry matter | 14% |
| Energy (ME) | 11.5 MJ/kg DM |
| Crude protein | 9% |
| Fibre (NDF) | 31% |
| Starch | 1.5% |
| Sugar | 17.5% |
| Fat | 1.3% |
Macro-minerals, % of dry matter
- Calcium
- 1.6%
- Phosphorus
- 0.3%
- Magnesium
- 0.25%
- Sodium
- 0.06%
- Potassium
- 2.5%
- Sulphur
- 0.3%
Chloride is left out on purpose: standard lab digestion doesn't recover it, so published feed tables leave it blank and ours would be an estimate. A mineral left out here is one the source table didn't report — not a measured zero.
Where these numbers come from
Whole-plant energy from Westwood & Mulcock (2012), Proc. NZ Grassland Assoc. 74:31–38; protein from Bordeira-Sotelo et al. (2015), NZ winter-grown kale; minerals from DairyNZ Facts & Figures Ch.5.
These are whole-plant values — a crop grazed leaf-first will run better than this until the stems go. The wide calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is the milk-fever risk on kale at calving.
How it compares
Other forages in the library, ordered by how close they sit to Kale on energy.
| Feed | DM % | ME | Protein | Fibre | c/MJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalethis page | 14 | 11.5 | 9% | 31% | — |
| Greenfeed oats + Italian ryegrass | 14 | 11.5 | 15% | 34% | — |
| Pasture — autumn (medium) | 15 | 11.3 | 17.5% | 43% | — |
| Pasture (leafy spring) | 16.6 | 11.9 | 26.4% | 41.7% | — |
| Process carrots | 10.7 | 11.9 | 9.1% | 11.9% | 7.9c |
A dash under c/MJ means the feed isn't bought — grazed pasture and standing crops carry no purchase price, and showing them at zero would read as free.
Does it feed the animal?
A composition on its own can't tell you that. Open the calculator with Kale added to the diet, set your stock and how much of it they're getting, and it will tell you what the diet actually supports — and which of energy, protein or gut fill runs out first.
Feedwise gives indicative models for decision support. It is not a substitute for a nutritionist or veterinarian — for animal-health decisions, talk to your vet.